Rent freeze?

"For the first time in its 46-year history, the Rent Guidelines Board may enact a rent freeze for stabilized apartments." (Curbed, The Daily News)

Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone to take effect in August

[Click image to enlarge]

The Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone is on its way.

Department of Transportation reps provided Community Board 3 (CB3) committee members with an update last Thursday night about the incoming (officially named) Alphabet City-Tompkins Square Slow Zone, the community-based program that reduces the speed limit within designated zones from 30 mph to 20 mph. (Read the background about all this here.)

For starters, the zone is expected to go into effect in August, according to CB3 member Chad Marlow, who helped put the plan in motion for the East Village early last year.

The above map shows the designated Slow Zone — First Avenue east to the FDR, and from East Second Street north to East 14th Street.

In addition to the 20 mph speed limit, a Slow Zone area receives speed humps (21 for East Village) and new striping and signage to slow drivers. (You can find a PDF of the DOT's presentation here.)

This is a particularly personal issue for Marlow. In 1995, a drunken driver struck Marlow's father on Harlem River Drive, an accident that left him with quadriplegia and a severe brain injury. His father died 13 years after the accident.

"I actually almost started crying when I got the DOT plan printout," Marlow told us. "This is a very emotional issue for me. I feel great and grateful."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Call for an East Village 'slow zone' (34 comments)

More about the timing of the Tompkins Square/Alphabet City Slow Zone

Thoughts on the age-old question: Is the East Village ruined?

Santa Monica, Calif.-based writer-artist-journalist Jennifer Sharpe recently revisited the East Village, where she lived in the 1990s, for the first time in seven years.

In an essay published Saturday at The 2 Star Traveler titled Is The East Village Ruined?, Sharpe writes about how she had been monitoring the neighborhood from afar.

I'd become luridly fascinated by a series of before and after photos, taken only seven years apart, highlighting some of the bigger losses. Like the way the Hebrew lettered charm of the 2nd Avenue Deli sign has been replaced by a flat Chase Manhattan Bank facade.

Sharpe says that she was prepped ahead of her arrival.

As the trip approached, I was issued warnings by friends who'd visited more recently, "Just realize, our East Village is gone," and "the whole city is pretty much a theme park for rich people now."

And then she was finally here.

Aside from the new bike lanes, nothing looked or felt much different. A few doors past the restaurant Veselka, I noticed the familiar sight of Ukranian letters on that long burgundy awning of the bar, Sly Fox. How had that place survived? And that awful Dallas BBQ restaurant with the turkey burger that once made a friend puke was still on the corner. For God's sake, how could STOMP! still be playing at the Orpheum?

I ducked into my old hardware store for some bungee cords, instinctively heading up the right aisle. The store's familiar glare of fluorescents off linoleum floors made me feel like a pause button on my former life had been released. By my LA tear-down standards, the East Village seemed cryogenically preserved. What was everyone being so melodramatic about? Exactly how little change did they expect from a living city?

She does discuss the reminders of Bloomberg's city and the crazy escalating rents.

But for the time being, Alphabet City seems to be in a golden moment. I wish the complaining locals who say the East Village is ruined would shut up long enough to appreciate what they've got while they still have it.

Read the whole essay here.

Icon Realty's new Avenue A 'frat house' is attracting attention

Back in January, an apparently brotastic 6-bedroom apartment at the newly renovated 205 Avenue A was billed as an "East Village frat house" in ads.

Apparently the building with roof deck and backyard is living up to its billing.

Residents who live near the party palace between East 12th Street and East 13th Street say they have been enduring various daytime/nighttime parties since April.

Says one neighbor: "Rooftop parties have included a DJ with sound system and the backyard patio has a large outdoor screen for movies and sports. The backyard is part of a typical configuration whereby many buildings overlook their shared backyard areas which creates a kind of echoey canyon where even the smallest noises are amplified."

To date, residents say building owner Icon Realty has been unresponsive to emails and phone calls regarding the noise complaints.

So, the residents say they were left with little choice but to seek other alternatives to the problem. That means the 9th Precinct, Community Board 3 and the offices of Councilmember Rosie Mendez and State Sen. Brad Hoylman … all are said to be aware of the ongoing noise problems coming from the building's residents (and their guests).

205 Avenue A is expected to be among the topics of discussion during tonight's Ninth Precinct Community Council meeting. (The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the 9th Precinct, 321 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.)

And this is not the first time residents have had noise complaints about Icon Realty's newly created dorms.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your 6-bedroom dream 'frat house' awaits you in the East Village

How's life by 326-328 E. Fourth St. these days?

Your chance to eat like it's 1954 at Veselka

Veselka is celebrating its 60th anniversary … in doing do, the restaurant at 144 Second Ave. (at East Ninth Street) is turning prices on some items back to 1954.

This will be available for 54 minutes on a day and time that the restaurant will announce on the Veselka Twitter or Facebook accounts.

Here's the available menu for those 1954 prices…



H/T Eater

Abraço Espresso opening a new shop on East 7th Street

[Photo Sunday by EVG reader Russ]

Abraço Espresso partners Jamie McCormick and Elizabeth Quijada are opening a satellite shop a few storefronts away in the former Velvet Cigar Lounge space at 80 E. Seventh St.

Abraçolina, which opens tomorrow, will sell bags of coffee beans, jars of olive oil and bottles of mineral water, among other items.

There's room for your own gym in this East 9th Street loft

[Image via Douglas Elliman]

There's a new listing for 735 E. Ninth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Per Douglas Elliman:

Rare to the market, this quintessential downtown artist loft in an historic East Village building is now available! This magnificent 3,300-square-foot loft is a celebration of light and spaciousness with soaring 12' ceilings, double exposures, abundant oversized windows, and striking original architectural details such as cast iron beams and original wooden columns, and century-old maple flooring.

There's actually no mention of the gym in the listing, so the current owner must be taking it along.

So maybe you'll have to drag your ass over to the incoming New York Sports Club on Avenue A. (Reminder: The Citi Bike stationary workout is free!) Or bring your own gym to the building, which the ad notes "is now filled with resident artists."

Price: $3.3 million.

How much would you pay for this 3-level home with balcony on Avenue B?

Photo by Dave on 7th.

Small tree meets 'terrible end' on 3rd Avenue

An EVG reader noted this earlier today on Third Avenue at East 12th Street:

Did you see the tree in front of Funkiberry/Han Dynasty met some terrible end? I saw it very early this morning ... .within the last hour it got cleaned up. Now the little tree is over by the trash can.

Anyone know what happened here? (Specifically about the tree...)

Here's a Google Street View of the tree from last September...

High noon, Portugal vs. Germany

The scene at Zum Schneider, Avenue C and East Seventh Street.

Photos by Dave on 7th.

Did you lose your dog?

From an EVG Facebook friend:

This sweet dog was found wandering Avenue A this morning, and the owners of the Macaron Parlour on St. Mark's Place have been caring for her until they find her owner.

The store's number is: 212.387.9169

Updated 8:04 p.m.
Dog and owner have been reunited… apparently the dog had gotten loose from a neighbor on St. Mark's Place…

After 30 years, First Avenue Pierogi and Deli is closing

We're sad to report that one of our favorite places, First Avenue Pierogi and Deli, is closing — the owners have decided to retire.

Their last day at 130 First Ave. just south of St. Mark's Place is July 2.

And there isn't any evil, rent-hike happy landlord to blame: Proprietor Wieslawa Kurowycky's family also owns the building. After 30 years it's just time to retire. So you'll still see the family around…

Meanwhile, you have a few weeks left to stock up on inexpensive (and delicious) pierogies, blintzes, soups, potato pancakes, etc.